Clutch control mechanism



March 28, 1939. H. w. pmcz Er AL 2,152,089

CLUTCH CONTROL MECHANISM.

Filed Sept. 29, 1957 I 4 Shegts-Sheei 1 lNVEN 0R 5 #40040 W RICE 5 3/74 4 PRICE ATTORN Y March 28, 1939. H. w.- PRICE ET AL CLUTCH CONTROL MECHANISM 7 Filed Sept. 29, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORN Y March 28, 1939. 1 H. w. PRICE ET AL.

' CLUTCH CONTROL MECHANISM Filed Sept. 29, 1957 '4 Sheets-Sheet 3 fgfl A- PIP/CE INVENT #4/1040 WB P/CE ATTORN Y March 28, 1939. H. w. PRICE ET AL .0 9

' CLUTCH CONTROL MficHANIsM Filed Sept. 29, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORNEY Patented 1939 I UNITED STATES. :rnrsnr orrica cm; W. Price and Earl a. Price, South Bend, 1nd,, assignors to Bendix Products Corporation, South Bend, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application September 29, 1937, Serial No. 160,296

4 Claims. (01. 192.01)

This invention relates in general to clutches, ating motor employed in the mchanisms disand more particularly to power means for operclosed in Figures 1, 2 and 3; and ating the clutch of an automotive vehicle. 4 Figure 5 is a-schematic view of yet another em- It is the principal object of the invention to bodiment of my invention wherein the control of 5 provide a pressure differential operated clutch the clutch operating motor is effected by a miniag operating motor controlled by an accelerator opture clutch pedal. erated line type of follow-up valve mechanism. In the embodiment of the invention disclosed Yet another object is to providea valvular conin Figure 1, a clutch of conventional design, not trol for a power clutch mechanism whereby the sncwn, is adapted to be operated by a clutch. clutch is engaged relativelyrapidly and uniformly pedal lever I 0 loosely sleeved over a clutch throwit up to the point of clutch plate contact, the reout shaft l2 and operatively connectedthereto by mainder of the engagement being in successive means of a lost motion connection including an relatively small increments of movement to there-- arm i3 fixedly secured to the shaft I2, tin adjustby efiect a slipping clutch and a smooth ensageable set screw it, contac'tibleby the pedal lever ment. 1 ill, being mounted inthe end of the arm. A iii A further object of the invention is to provide, spring It serves to return the pedal lever it to in anaccelerator controlled clutch operating its oiiposition. x-power means, means for temporarily limiting the The invention is particularly directed to er clutch plate loading to a predetermined maximeans for operating the clutch to thereby dismum in the event the accelerator is opened too Dense with a manualpperat on t T0 this 20 quickly. Thus, should the driver inadvertentlyor end there is provided a pressure differential operby design open the accelerator too widely, the ated motor M of the vacuum suspended tvpasaid aforementioned means-will, nevertheless, obviate motor comprising, as disclosed in Figure 4- a a too rapid or grabbing clutch engagement. double-ended cylinder i6, preferably to the Yet another object of the invention is to pro-I chassis, said cylinder housing a reciprocable pisvide, in conjunction with an accelerator con--' ton it. j A hollow connecting rod 2d fixedly setrolled clutch' operating mechanism, electro-mag cured to the piston 18 and provided with a valve netic means for rendering the mechanism oper- Opening 22 is Ope ly connected W the More" ative only when either the speed of the vehicle or mentioned clutch operating shaft 52 by a crank the engine is ator below a predetermined factor .26. Completing t e description of the Valve 30 or the change-speed transmission is in any setting mechanism and operating linkage therefor, an except. high gear. A further object of the invenaccelerator 26 is connected with a valveemember tion is to provide, in conjunction either with or 28 by means a crank a Shaft 3 a c a without such mechanism, accelerator controlled at, a link 36, a ank 38. a l k 0. a be l crank 5 means for rendering the clutch control mechalever s2, and a valve operating lever 46. The bell nism operative only when the accelerator is recrank lever 42 is curved or cammed at one ofits leased to or beyond a certain point in its throw. ends it for a pu p to b d be er ter. Yet another object of the invention is to pro and is pivotally mounted to the lever 64 at 48, A vide a so-called baby clutch'pedal operated clutch pin 58 serves to p v t y nn t the lever 40 control mechanismincluding'a line type of ioland h crank 2 V low-up valve mechanism, thereby providing a so- Describing now the operation of the aforemencalled booster mechanism for operating the tioned mechanism. upo releasing th cc at clutch. 7 h acted upon by a spring 52, the pressure diiferen- Other objectsloithe invention and desirable tial acting upon the? 8 member 28 rves, et i of on tructl niapq combinations or arts through the intermediary of the above-described 45 will become. apparent from the following detailed linkage interconnecting the accelerator and valve, description of certain embodiments of the invento move said member 2! to the left beyond the tion; taken in conjunction with the accompanyopening 22, thereby venting a compartment 84 of ing drawings illustrating. said embodiments, in the motor H to the atmosphereyiathe opening whlch:

Figure 1 is a schematic view disclosing the being open to the atmosphere. The remaining principal elements of my invention; compartment 56 of the motoris permanently con- Figures 2 and 3 are also schematic views dis- 'nected to the intake manifold of the internalclosing other embodiments of my invention; combustion engine via a conduit 58. The motor Figure 4 is a sectional view of the clutch oper- I4 is thus energized, the difl'erential of pressures 5g 22 iii the hollowrod 2c, the latter, as disclosed, m

the em. 12 3 same ate the setter; me i be disengage time eiuiielm.

time depressing the seeei eter, the iever is moveci uesii ihe cam parties iaieereei? eeeieets 21 sizes lever member 5 3, we U518 01'' e 532, meving ee z'eieiive es fiche ectie n e i Eve is moved ire the m =0 meme 'Jsise e11 the esiisiem of the cam and valve seedy Ese "series eennectisns: :fsriheamere,

eezameeirion '1 The suieeze velve mecha- 12 she eeeeiexssel' seem fe'iiewmp fm-iegz msm insures e reim'aiveiy 1 m2 e21- gsging mevemeni; ef the in, see! the concur- :ren'i; thsei'eie opening nausea semis ei' flee eceeieesees serve is pmgressiveiy clutch step by step as time effect es ping eiuseb. and e msxieuvesimg eensrei. e1? i, e V

Zieseribing new emiseziimeni; ef the haventies. c'iiseiesefl in Figure 2, e veeumcts suspended meme iii, very 1 sizfiuetme end identiesi in fizmeiien mm the meme diseiesefl in Figure 1, egzemiaiveiy cenneeied' te eiuteii by mews m" a ems-t i2, iizzis W3, a ievezi' memees ems eonr061 A. eiuizeh ieeseiy sleeved ever a shaft consents the creek at '66, thus presiding e, iesi: mesien connection which pemts e, manual disengagement m" the clutch in the event of the failure of the peweemeens. Describzthe epemeion 02 this mechanism, end incidentaiizs cemeleting the description oi its various I elements, spam releasing the eceeiers'mr 3%), a

' nested with an intake manifold 9 vie e conduit @6 and a, three-way vsive iii Figure 3, tea energize the same and efiect a disengagement m the eiueeh.

Depression of the accelerates serves ts eeerste the follow-up veive mechanism to efieet e tees-ewe engagement of the clutch, the meehemismei Figure 2 functioning in a. manner izienticai ts ems ei Figure 1. A stop We functions as (flees meme w of Figure 1. should the driver, either inadvertently or by design, tramp upflii -iihfi e'eeeierster,

the csm-feceszi bell crank 8E3 cemectse, seep W2;

Thus the lever is limited in its mice of movement, and the clutch may not be engaged we v quickly, a grebbing clutch being thus avoided. 75!

v Animmrtent feature of em invemien is eiis members means fer r m in Figs? fleeing; we sluice sexism eperefsive 0211:; when the glee. is in em gee): mile except h 1 gees '1 whee is in high gee mi a see vehieie is e'iee to a pm; svmq'riwehemzeee, eeiez'eim' here is prev; 0 r see-rating she e we mess in imii; is swi V ereeien e ine siiy Bey gev week;

is of a swing melded 'ie in when mesa-k "rig opemiien 0L should the enrriaz miseries semis, i. eiwimnsiy neeessez'y fleiiew-up ieii, meswiiich H 3, est My: memes s, eiesmg eii time valve is emzsgemem oi the clutch.-

valve mee- 5313' as e e em]. 21 m lashes.

.n egsersfiec'i S'Wflflh M3 s pieces"! in essies en accelerates eper switch M53, e, seieamiei similar in Emails soienoiei HM, and en imitiee ewiseh i2". the .eeceiemeee to s amount, miusiaer im in swi beb MS meereemeeees semi as W3 and 028, thus mitimmg e ei lime eiutcis, whee if she engine speefi meter ts eieee the The contest ef the switch MS may seeeive iesri 953$, feels eremsmissiem eperstimg switch 532, she ietiex' ems sting in the sense mesa-sea es the immmissiee operated imam 561i? eiieeieseei in meme 2. They-e is thus pmvideel eeemsive, when time eeeei=' erseer is seifieientiy reieesed end when the engine srseeei deem fie see iaiiiee speed, or when famnsmissiezs is in any erscegzivhigh gees, i0 perms en weretiem e52 izhe eiuteh operates. The valve operating inf-Figure 3 is identiesi with time dlis sieeeei 212i Fimwe 2m Referi'mg new to E-"isme s, were is here ziieclosed e se-ee-iied ciuteie'eeesw mechanism, such mechanisms empieymg eeimieture clutch pesiei Zoe operating the ewes". A minimum m se celled Bebe exams mfieiflm is opemtiveiy cenzzz'ee'bed fm veive eeemtime iimiieee we, ids-miner. men that diseiesesi in Figures 2 end 3, by e.

, 988. The semsmfier of we mechanism disciuseci in this figure is, with the emission of the cut-m yeive end s slightly eifierem eennection between size clutch pedal M653 and valve mechenism, iden- @eereeseri is e. eer ieiin 0w: invemion fileeiaseziizz persons skilled in the art. The invention is, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In an automotive vehicle provided wi-th'a clutch and an accelerator, power means for operating the clutch comprising a pressure diilerential operated motor, means interconnecting said motor, clutch and accelerator including a followup valve mechanism for controlling the operation of said motor, said follow-up valve mechanism includin a leverage-changing mechanism interconne ting the accelerator, clutch and motor.

2. In an automotive vehicle provided with a clutch and an accelerator,.power means for operating the clutch comprising a pressure difieren- 20 valve means, piston and clutch, said linkage including leverage-changing mechanisms for controlling the operation oi said valve means;

3. In an automotive vehicle provided with a clutch pedal and an accelerator, power means for operating said pedal comprising a'vacuum'suspended motor including a double-ended cylinder and a piston, valve means within said motor for controlling the clutch disengaging and engaging operations thereof, and leverage-changing linkage valve means for controlling said motor, and linkage interconnecting said accelerator, valve means, piston and clutch, said linkage including leverage-changing mechanisms for controlling the operation of said valve means, said leverage-changing mechanisms including a floating lever memher and a bell crank lever connected thereto. I

' HAROLD W. PRICE.

EARL R. PRICE. 

